[govinfo] GovInfo News 4-17-2007

From: "Patrice McDermott" <pmcdermott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

To: govinfo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 09:40:06 -0400

- Bush Allies in Congress Block Bill That Would Require Intelligence
Disclosures
- FDA's Web overhaul won't inform public, critics say
- First Generation E-Rulemaking: An Assessment of Regulatory Agency Websites
- Government Websites and Political Engagement: Facilitating Citizen Entry
into the Policy Process
Patrice McDermott, Director
OpenTheGovernment.org
www.openthegovernment.org
202.332.OPEN (6736)
- BUSH ALLIES IN CONGRESS BLOCK BILL THAT WOULD REQUIRE INTELLIGENCE
DISCLOSURES
By Mark Mazzetti
April 17, 2007
The Bush administration’s allies in Congress on Monday blocked a bill that
would require the White House to disclose the locations of secret prisons run
by the Central Intelligence Agency and to reveal the amount spent annually by
American intelligence agencies. more
***
- FDA'S WEB OVERHAUL WON'T INFORM PUBLIC, CRITICS SAY
By Aliya Sternstein
April 16, 2007
Contrary to the expectations of the Food and Drug Administration, a planned
overhaul of the FDA's Web site will not generate a better informed public,
some health experts say. On Friday, FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach
sent a memorandum to FDA staff, stating, "A modern and effective FDA Web site
is critically important for the agency to serve the public. Improving our Web
site will help us to further cultivate trust, transparency, and communication
among all of our stakeholders." In Friday's notice, Eschenbach stated that
the first piece of the new, improved Web environment will be the launch of "a
user-friendly" Web page: "Consumer Health Information for You and Your
Family." The agency will discontinue the printing of FDA Consumer
magazine, shifting resources to "more effective modern communication vehicles,
such as a consumer health information e-newsletter." more [National Journal's
Technology Daily via GovExec]
***
- FIRST GENERATION E-RULEMAKING: AN ASSESSMENT OF REGULATORY AGENCY WEBSITES
Stuart Shapiro, Rutgers University, Cary Coglianese, Univ of Penn Law
School
The authors examine 89 websites from federal regulatory agencies in order to
evaluate their ease of use for those interested in commenting on or learning
about their proposed regulations. more
***
- GOVERNMENT WEBSITES AND POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT: FACILITATING CITIZEN ENTRY
INTO THE POLICY PROCESS
Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations, University of
California-Irvine
Previous research shows that in the United States, municipal government
websites contain both participatory and consumer elements; however, these
websites are generally designed to facilitate consumption of government
services rather than participation in the policy process. The evidence
indicates that ...there is reason to believe that the Internet could become a
vehicle to foster greater participation. The paper concludes with suggestions
on constructing municipal government websites to facilitate greater
participation. Link to paper